1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display medium which is allowed to perform image display by a display layer including developer particles. The invention also concerns with an image recording apparatus for recording an image on an image display medium (especially an image display medium capable of performing color image display).
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, rewritable image display mediums called electronic paper or digital paper have been proposed as the image display medium (image recording medium) to be used in place of paper sheet for image recording and display of recorded image.
Various types of image display mediums have been proposed as such mediums. Such image display mediums generally have a display layer which is capable of changing one or more optical characteristics such as light reflectance, light transmittance, color, optical reflection density and the like.
Image recording (image formation) is executed on the mediums to display an image by changing the optical characteristic(s) in a region corresponding to each pixel in the display layer according to an image information (image data) of the pixel.
Typical examples of the mediums having such a display layer are twist ball type, electrophoresis type and dry developer-including type. The display layer in the medium of twist ball type, electrophoresis type or dry developer-including type includes a plurality of particles (i.e., developer particles) for use in image display.
In the mediums having a display layer containing a plurality of such developer particles, a partition wall for partitioning the display layer into sections may be provided, e.g., to suppress the bias of developer particles in a direction in parallel with the display layer. The partition wall is generally provided between a pair of substrates having the display layer therebetween.